What are
AI search engines?
AI search engines do not give you a list of links. They give you an answer. ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity: more and more people are asking AI instead of Google. For business owners, this changes everything. This guide explains what AI search engines are, which ones exist, how they work and what it means for your business.
800M+
weekly ChatGPT users worldwide
6+
major AI search engines active
51%
of UK adults use AI search tools
75%
of 18-34 year-olds use AI search
What is an AI search engine, exactly?
An AI search engine is a system that understands your question, searches the internet and gives you a composed answer. No ten blue links. No adverts at the top. Just a direct answer to your question, assembled from multiple sources.
Say you search for "who is a good accountant for a startup in Manchester?" On Google, you get a page with ads, search results and perhaps a map with local businesses. On an AI search engine, you get an answer. Sometimes with names of specific firms. Sometimes with criteria to look for. But always as text, not as a list of links.
Search as a conversation
This is also called "conversational search". You can ask follow-up questions, just like in a conversation. "And what if I am in Birmingham?" "How much would that cost roughly?" The AI remembers the context and adjusts the answer. That is fundamentally different from traditional search, where every query stands on its own.
Google vs. AI search engine
You type keywords. Google gives a list of links. You click, read and compare. Google ranks pages based on hundreds of factors.
AI search engine
You ask a question in normal language. The AI searches the internet, combines information from multiple sources and gives a composed answer. You can ask follow-up questions.
How do AI search engines work?
Behind every AI search engine is a language model. That is software trained on enormous amounts of text from the internet. The model understands language, can interpret questions and can formulate answers that are logical and coherent.
But a language model alone is not enough. Training data has a cut-off date. ChatGPT knows nothing about last week's events if it relies only on training data. That is why modern AI search engines combine their language model with live web searches.
From question to answer
The process works like this: you ask a question. The AI recognises what you want to know and formulates search queries. Those queries go to the web. The results come back and the language model combines all the information into a coherent answer. Often with source citations, so you can verify where the information came from.
Understand the question
The language model analyses your question and determines exactly what you want to know. It understands context, nuance and intent.
Search the web
The AI formulates search queries and searches the internet. It selects relevant sources based on trustworthiness and relevance.
Combine information
The model combines information from multiple sources into a coherent, complete answer.
Deliver the answer
You get a direct answer in natural language, often with source citations. You can ask follow-up questions without starting over.
Which AI search engines exist?
There are now several AI search engines active. Each platform works differently, uses different sources and gives different answers. Here are the most important ones for UK businesses.
ChatGPT
The best-known AI platform. ChatGPT combines a powerful language model with live web search. It can answer questions, cite sources and handle follow-up queries. With over 800 million weekly users globally and 19 million monthly visitors in the UK alone, it is by far the most used AI search platform in Britain. 47% of UK adults have used ChatGPT for search queries.
Made by OpenAI
Google Gemini
Google's own AI assistant. Gemini has a unique advantage: direct access to the full Google ecosystem. Google Maps, Google Reviews, Google Shopping. For local businesses, Gemini is particularly relevant because it uses your Google Business Profile as a primary source. Already used by 22% of UK adults who use AI for search.
Made by Google
Google AI Overviews
Not a separate platform, but AI summaries at the top of Google search results. For a growing number of search queries, Google now shows an AI-written summary above the regular results. This already appears on roughly a quarter of all Google searches in the UK, with plans to expand further.
Integrated into Google Search
Perplexity
An AI search engine specifically focused on search. Perplexity always provides source citations with every answer and is popular with people who want reliable, verifiable information. It is growing rapidly, with tens of millions of monthly users. Its citation-heavy approach makes it a favourite among researchers and professionals.
Independent platform
Claude
Made by Anthropic. Claude is known for its accuracy and nuance. It also has a web search function, allowing it to retrieve current information from the internet. Claude is particularly valued for the quality and reliability of its answers, especially for complex or nuanced questions.
Made by Anthropic
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft's AI assistant, integrated into Bing, Windows and Microsoft 365. Copilot uses the same technology as ChatGPT but is more deeply woven into the Microsoft ecosystem. Already used by 21% of UK AI searchers. Particularly relevant for business users who rely on Microsoft products.
Made by Microsoft
Each platform gives different answers to the same question. That is why it is important to track your visibility across all platforms. One important thing to know: AI answers are not fixed. Ask the same question twice and you may get different businesses recommended each time. This variability makes monitoring even more critical.
How does your business score on these platforms?
VestVale automatically checks whether ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Google AI mention your business. All platforms in one dashboard.
How is this different from Google?
Google shows a list of links. You click through, read multiple pages and draw your own conclusion. With AI search engines, the AI does that for you. It reads dozens of sources, combines the information and gives you a coherent answer.
The consequence: with Google, ten websites get traffic. With an AI search engine, zero to three websites get traffic. The rest are summarised without the user ever clicking through. Research shows that searches with a Google AI Overview see up to 58% fewer clicks to websites.
With AI search engines, at most 3 sources get traffic per answer. If you are not cited, you are invisible.
But there is good news too. Businesses that are cited by AI actually get more attention. They are not only mentioned in the AI answer but also receive more clicks on their regular search results. Being cited by AI works as a kind of endorsement.
Another important difference: with Google, you can influence your position through SEO and advertising. With AI search engines, there is (as yet) no advertising model. You cannot buy a spot in a ChatGPT answer. Visibility is purely organic and based on how trustworthy and relevant the AI considers you.
Google is not going away. It still has over 85% market share. But AI search is growing rapidly alongside it. Smart business owners optimise for both.
Why do AI search engines matter for UK businesses?
AI search is growing fast. Over half of UK adults now use AI search tools to find products, services and advice. Among 18 to 34 year-olds, that figure rises to 75%. These are your current and future customers. And they behave fundamentally differently from Google searchers.
A Google searcher compares on their own. An AI searcher trusts the recommendation. When ChatGPT says "a good solicitor in Edinburgh is firm X", a large portion of users will contact firm X without searching further. That makes AI search engines not just a new search channel but a powerful referral source.
AI recommendations as a sales channel
Research from Which? found that 30% of UK consumers now research products and services through AI chatbots before purchasing. That is up from 12% at the start of 2025. The shift is accelerating. But 98% still verify AI recommendations before acting, which means your broader online presence matters just as much as the recommendation itself.
The window of opportunity is open now. Most UK businesses are not doing anything about AI visibility. According to British Chambers of Commerce data, only 35% of UK SMEs actively use AI. Even fewer are optimising their presence for it. Businesses that start now build an advantage that becomes harder to catch up with later.
This applies to all types of businesses. Local tradespeople, online shops, SaaS companies, consultants, estate agents. Everyone who finds customers through the internet needs to understand how AI reads websites. Not in two years. Now.
Want to know more about how AI decides which businesses to name? Read how AI recommends businesses.
AI search in the UK: where do things stand?
The UK is one of the fastest AI-adopting markets in Europe. Over 19 million unique visitors access ChatGPT from the UK each month. One in five UK internet users claims to use ChatGPT regularly. In London, that figure reaches 30%.
For businesses, this means a growing share of potential customers are getting information from AI rather than from Google. A plumber in Bristol, an estate agent in Leeds, a solicitor in Glasgow: all of them are dealing with customers who base their choices on what AI recommends. And that group is getting bigger every month.
Usage differs by age group and sector. Younger consumers use AI more often for product advice and service provider selection. Business users deploy AI for supplier comparisons and market research. Among knowledge workers, 43% now use AI tools at work, up from near zero in 2022.
The opportunity for UK businesses lies in the timing. AI search is big enough to matter but new enough that competition is limited. Most businesses in the UK are doing nothing about AI visibility. That window will not stay open forever.
How do you make sure AI search engines find your business?
Be present on multiple platforms
AI search engines trust businesses that appear on multiple independent platforms. Set up profiles on Google, LinkedIn, Trustpilot, Yell, trade directories and review platforms like Checkatrade or Bark.
Answer questions on your website
Write FAQs and articles that directly answer your customers' questions. AI search engines prefer to cite content that gives a clear, direct answer.
Build authority
Publish expert content, collect reviews, get listed on industry directories and professional bodies. Display FCA registration, RICS membership or trade accreditations prominently.
Use structured data
Schema markup (LocalBusiness, FAQPage, Service) helps AI systems understand your website. It tells the AI directly what your business does and offers.
Keep your information current
AI search engines prefer recent information. Publish new content regularly and keep your business information up to date everywhere.
Monitor your visibility
You cannot improve what you do not measure. Use an AI tracker to keep track of how often and where your business is mentioned across all platforms.
A complete step-by-step guide: how to get visible in ChatGPT.
GEO: the new SEO for AI search engines
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the term for optimising your online presence so that AI search engines find, understand and recommend your business. It is comparable to SEO, but specifically aimed at AI systems.
With SEO, you optimise for Google's algorithm. With GEO, you optimise for how AI language models process information. That means: clear text, direct answers, logical structure and trustworthy information on multiple platforms.
SEO and GEO work together
SEO and GEO are not mutually exclusive. Good SEO is a foundation for GEO. But GEO requires extra attention to things like mentions on review sites, consistent business information across platforms and content that directly answers questions. Read more in our article on what is GEO.
For UK business owners, GEO is still a relatively new concept. That is an advantage. Competition is low. Businesses that start with GEO optimisation now can position themselves as the default recommendation in their sector before competitors even begin.
The beauty of GEO is that the basics are straightforward. You do not need to be a technical expert. A complete Google Business Profile, good reviews, clear content on your website and consistent information everywhere. That is 80% of the work. The remaining 20% is refinement: structured data, content frequency and strategic mentions on industry sites. More about this in our article on Generative Engine Optimisation.
Frequently asked questions
Will AI search engines replace Google?
Not in the short term. Google still has over 85% market share. But AI search is growing rapidly alongside it. It is not a replacement, it is an additional search channel that is becoming increasingly important. Smart business owners optimise for both.
Which AI search engine is most important for my business?
ChatGPT is by far the most used in the UK. But Gemini is crucial for local businesses because of its connection to Google Maps. The best advice: optimise for all platforms at once. The steps are largely the same.
Do I need to change my website?
Probably, but not drastically. The basis is good SEO. On top of that: clear FAQs, direct answers to common questions and structured data. Most website builders support this with plugins or built-in options.
Can I advertise in AI search engines?
Not currently. There are no paid positions in ChatGPT or Perplexity answers. Visibility is entirely organic. That is good news for smaller businesses: you can compete on quality, not budget.
Do AI search engines always give the same answer?
No. AI answers vary each time you ask. The same question can produce different business recommendations on different days or even different sessions. This variability is by design and makes consistent AI visibility even more important to track over time.
How do I measure whether AI search engines mention my business?
Manually: ask relevant questions in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. Structurally: use an AI tracker that automatically monitors which platforms mention your business and how often.
Find out how AI search engines see your business
VestVale automatically monitors how ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Google AI recommend your business.
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